The Black Friday sales touched remarkable heights last year. With a record-breaking $ 3.34 sales, the eCommerce industry saw a boost of around 21%. But beyond the statistics, it is the lesson that the e-retailers should focus on. The incredible achievements of the year 2016 has for sure shaped a lot of trend to follow this year as well.
The blog has outlined some of the essential takeaways of the sales season of last year. Amp yourself up with these facts and get ready for the busiest season of the year.
It is not a one-day affair
One of the biggest aspect that requires the consideration of the e-marketers is that this is not a one-day affair. This implies that the expectation of the customers won’t end on same day. In fact, there is a huge customer base who actually waits for the post-sale offers. There were a lot of sites last year that extended their deals from Black Friday to Black November. What was earlier a single day sale has now turned into a week-long sale. The eCommerce giants like Amazon extended there sales from Black Friday to Thanksgiving. And this is what your customers will be expecting this year as well. While the bargain hunters must have already started hitting the internet to strike the right deal, it is important to provide them with what they are looking for.
Suggestion: With few more days to go, it is high time that you gear up for the extended sales season. This behavior might continue the entire holiday season. Thus, you need to gear up for the holidays accordingly. Do not expect close the deal and achieve the target on the same day. There are many more opportunities ahead and you need to be prepared for the same.
Mobile domination is the key
It is interesting to note that 75% of the total net searches online was done using mobile phones. Moreover, 55% of the online purchases was done using hand-held devices. The mobile domination is bound to increase this season as well. Moreover, if we take a close insight into the consumer behavior, we’ll see that the online shoppers expects to get everything then and there. This is what makes it even important to bring the store at an arms distance of the customers. In addition to this, another exciting figure shows that the mobile apps touched a peak of 1.2 million installs on Black Friday.
Suggestion: The very first consideration is to make the website mobile-responsive which you must have already done. However, the last minutes preparation for the busiest week must include the final testing as well. Make sure that the site is ready to handle the unexpected traffic coming from the mobile devices. The additional holiday functionalities such as exit pop-ups must be working on the mobile phones as well as. Besides, this is the best time upgrade your site to a mobile platform. Knowband’s mobile app builder can help you go mobile even in the eleventh hour. Whether you have a eCommerce store on Prestashop, Magento, OpenCart or any other platform, you can convert it into a complete mobile store. Provide lucrative offers in return of the downloads and motivate your loyal customers to install your application.
Greater traffic, but lesser revenue
This was one of the observations last year. The website traffic was more than the expectation while the revenue earned was less. This is proven fact that the customers are spending less than expectation. The reason might be the presence of so many choices or the intention of the customers to hit a better deal. This may hit you hard if you are still not prepared to counter the same. The e-merchants should focus on the aiding the purchase intention of the visitors. Provide compelling reasons to customers to avoid procrastination and place the order instantly. Another way to curb these exits is to showcase deadline offers to the customers. Provides the customers with the offers that they just can’t resist. One day delivery option with a countdown timer can do the magic. Something like Prestashop shipping timer is one such way to create the sense urgency in the minds of the shoppers.
Suggestion: Get your landing pages ready for unexpected traffic. Along with this, be ready to get less conversions that expected. This is when the role of the re-marketing and re-targeting comes into play. The holiday season are more prone to cart abandonment. Use this as an opportunity for future conversions. The Black Friday is getting longer every year and this trend may continue in the future as well. The opportunities would not end after this day. The e-marketers need to stay at their toes in order to bring these customers back to the store.
Let them hit the bargain
The whole idea of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales is to get an edgy deal. With so many options to choose from, even the expectation of the online shoppers has gone up. Thus, the flat discounts may not intrigue them. You need to lure them to checkout page, but in a subtle way. Even though it is the perfect time for aggressive marketing, it might not be fruitful at times. In addition, the bargain seeker love to shop early. According to report, more than half a million visit on the eCommerce store happened at 1 AM in the morning.
Suggestion: With the above-mentioned aspect in mind, the e-marketers need to find out innovative ways of giveaways to attract the visitors. Instead of going with the conventional means, provide them an opportunity to hit a bargain. The interactive gamified pop-ups such as spin and win can be of some help. The process of spinning the wheel in order to get offers makes the customers feel as if they have won something hit a bargain. Even a small discount may be well-appreciated. Moreover, offering mid-night offers may boost up the sales to new heights.
Wrap up
The expectation of the customers is high. While any strategic changes in this hour may be hazardous, this is the perfect time to make some back-up plans. As well as, it important that you plan out the post-holiday sales strategies. Use the takeaways from the last year and tap the opportunities effectively.
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